Hi,

Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).

You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
so you can Format the internal HD.

There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.

Thank You in advance, John

On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 07:57:12 -0400, jaugustine wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn onto a
> CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
> so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
> Thank You in advance, John

You can download a bootable gparted program:
https://gparted.org/download.php

You could also use one of the many trial linux distributions that will
include gparted. Drives will be labeled sda1,sda2 etc. Just be careful.

On 6/30/2021 4:57 AM, jaugustine@verizon.net wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
> so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
> Thank You in advance, John

Why? Is it that you want to erase the drive?

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

At his 26 June rally in Ohio, Donald Trump claimed he is still
the President of the United States. Tell me, Mr. Trump, how
many executive orders have you issued since 20 January? How
many Congressional bills have your signed or vetoed?

jaugustine@verizon.net wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
> so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
> Thank You in advance, John

It depends on what you mean by "format". This product for
example, is purpose built for erasing disks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darik's_Boot_and_Nuke

Drives today, the "platter format" happens at the factory. This
lays out the basic servo wedges (the pattern that helps the heads
converge on the target). It provides the sector addresses say,
the write splices, and room for the data in each sector. The "envelope"
for your storage, never gets rewritten once it leaves the factory.

Once the drive is in the users home, the only supported operation
is "write". This updates the payload section of a sector.

There are operations such as partitioning. Disk Management does
this for you, as a GUI, but may not be available in every environment.

The command line version is "diskpart.exe", and this is available
on your Windows 7 installer DVD. Boot the DVD. Answer the language
prompt. Then, you have choices of "Install" or "Troubleshoot". Select
Troubleshoot. In there, could be six icons, one of which is
"Command Prompt". Once the black background Command Prompt appears,
it is administrator. Type "diskpart" <ct> to enter the disk
partitioner.

list disk
select disk 0
list partition
select partition 1
detail partition # Tell me about partition 1
clean # Remove all partitions, erase the MBR, erase GPT part table
clean all # As before, but zeros out the entire drive selected
# Use this option as if it was DBAN.
exit

You can also define a new partition, set a file system type (NTFS),
and... "format" it. Formatting NTFS lays down a new file system
header sector, and writes out a new $MFT (master file table), and
now you've got a fresh empty partition.

Things you can't do in there, include traditional partition management.
You can't slide a partition left or right in there, just like
Windows 7 Disk Management doesn't do that either.

If you install Paragon Partition Manager 14, in your running Windows 7,
it's a demo, but it has a working Move/Resize function. That's about
all that works. If regular Disk Management or "diskpart.exe" has
shrunk a partition, you could move the partition to the right with
Paragon Partition Manager. It may reboot and use the WinPE or WinRE
sitting around on disk, to enable "offline move", then reboot
into the regular OS. This allows, say, moving C: to the right a bit.

Using Macrium Reflect Free, you can backup/restore individual partitions,
which allows rearranging the order of partitions.

The shrink function supported by Windows, generally does not support
more than 50% change. If you install Windows 7 and make the partition
200GB wide, then the shrink function only shrinks to the 100GB size.
This is due to some "unmovable metadata". Well, it's movable, but they
don't want to do that. NTFS has some location-definitions for things,
just as on an alternative platform, certain datas or structures
are placed at 1/3 and 2/3rds mark.

Paragon (or any other free partition management program), if they
do an offline operation, this removes some constraints on real-time
changes to a file system. A file system does not have to be mounted
in an offline environment, and perhaps more structural changes can
be done successfully there.

So if a free partition manager uses WinRE or WinPE.wim and uses
that on a reboot, then even C: can be edited after a fashion.
All without a complete third-party ISO or DVD or USB stick.

But in a pinch, a subset of operations can be done, offline,
using the Windows 7/8/10 installer DVD.

You can even do these things, before an install.

1) Boot W7 installer DVD.
2) Select "Troubleshooting" and use diskpart.exe as above.
3) When you Exit diskpart, assuming you're still on the
X: prompt, you can type "Setup.exe", and this will kick
off the install portion of the DVD. This saves on a
reboot of the DVD that would otherwise be necessary to
get back to the Install GUI.

Paragon 14 is free (and limited in function).

There's an Easeus (partition manager) free one, with limits too.

Some manipulation functions are definitely difficult and
not supported by OS code. Strangely, some companies don't
even verify their shit works. So be careful!!! Test new
software with a disk you do not care about!!!

If you have not done CHKDSK on a partition, that's when
corruptions occur. For example, one user noted that
Easeus could not even resize a FAT32 partition without
corruption. But perhaps if the user had done a CHKDSK
first, and tended to the details, or if the user had
evaluated the SMART status of the disk, this might not
have happened. Perhaps the disk was on its last legs.

Don't do anything "datafull" with a disk that you can't
afford to lose. That's where the "backup first" comes in.
Even CHKDSK can absolutely ruin a partition and make
it unrecoverable. But with the robust file system features
of the modern Windows, this is less likely to happen,
as latent faults are observed by the OS on a continuous
basis. I'm still waiting for a tech article with the
details on that.

There is a DVD with the name "Hirens" on it, which may
not have anything to do with the original Hirens. It
has a number of tools on it. This is an example of
another way of getting WinPE or WinRE functionality.
One of the issues with a porker like that, is when
WinPE boots, it loads X: entirely into RAM, which
means every program on the DVD is loaded into RAM too.
Perhaps you need 2GB to 3GB of RAM, and a long load
time, to use that version of Hirens. A small machine
may not be applicable to its usage. The Microsoft
WinPE is about 300MB, making it practical for smaller
machines, but with the caveat that there's not much
more on it than "diskpart.exe".

Paul

jaugustine@verizon.net graced us with on 6/30/2021 4:57 AM:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
> so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
Is all you want is to format the HD(s)? Also, which file system formats
are you looking for, FAT/FAT32/eFAT/NTFS, &c?

--
Sailfish
CDC Covid19 Trends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624208354841034
Rare Mozilla Stuff: http://tinyurl.com/z86x3sg

On 6/30/21 7:57 AM, this is what jaugustine@verizon.net wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
> so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
> Thank You in advance, John
>
>
Yes, I'd ask why?
If you're loading a new or same OS, then during the reload you can just tell it to erase the disk and use all of it for the OS.

A windows CD will boot and you can find tools there to erase and format your drive too.

--
Linux Mint Cinnamon 20.1 64bit, Dell Inspiron 5570 laptop
Quad Core i7-8550U, 16G Memory, 512G SSD, 750G & 1TB HDDs
*I collect teddy bears.

> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>
> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
>so you can Format the internal HD.
>
> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>
Hi,
UPDATE:

I found the solution. I discovered I have "Bart PE" (don't remember
version) on a bootable CD. This CD boots into a stripped down (live)
version of Windows XP with a Command Prompt.

At the Command Prompt (testing a spare 120GB HD), I had to write down
"Volume" of C: drive (HDD) because of prompt I get after issuing the
"Format C: /FS:NTFS" command.

After I responded to the Volume prompt, I saw the typical "Warning, All
Data....", and the HD was formatted.

John

>> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>>
>> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
>> so you can Format the internal HD.
>>
>> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>>
>> Thank You in advance, John
>>
>>
>Yes, I'd ask why?
>If you're loading a new or same OS, then during the reload you can just tell it to erase the disk and use all of it for the OS.
>
>A windows CD will boot and you can find tools there to erase and format your drive too.

Hi Teddy-Bear and others,

I forgot to mention the reason I want to format an internal HD, which
is much faster than using a HD docking station plugged into USB port (did that
once and it took almost 3 hours).

When I buy a HD (spare), I like to format it as a way to check it.

Thanks to everyone for your replies, John

On 6/30/21 12:33 PM, this is what jaugustine@verizon.net wrote:
>> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>>
>> You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
>> so you can Format the internal HD.
>>
>> There are many formatting tools, but they require an OS.
>>
> Hi,
> UPDATE:
>
> I found the solution. I discovered I have "Bart PE" (don't remember
> version) on a bootable CD. This CD boots into a stripped down (live)
> version of Windows XP with a Command Prompt.
>
> At the Command Prompt (testing a spare 120GB HD), I had to write down
> "Volume" of C: drive (HDD) because of prompt I get after issuing the
> "Format C: /FS:NTFS" command.
>
> After I responded to the Volume prompt, I saw the typical "Warning, All
> Data....", and the HD was formatted.
>
> John
>
>
Hey, I remember that prompt. Always used to hate it but then realized it sure was a safer way to stop me from formatting my C: drive. LOL

--
Linux Mint Cinnamon 20.1 64bit, Dell Inspiron 5570 laptop
Quad Core i7-8550U, 16G Memory, 512G SSD, 750G & 1TB HDDs
*I collect teddy bears.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 at 12:46:55, jaugustine@verizon.net wrote (my
responses usually follow points raised):
>>> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>>> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>>> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
[]
>>Yes, I'd ask why?
[]
> I forgot to mention the reason I want to format an internal HD, which
>is much faster than using a HD docking station plugged into USB port (did that
>once and it took almost 3 hours).
>
> When I buy a HD (spare), I like to format it as a way to check it.
>
> Thanks to everyone for your replies, John
>
If it's a spare, then your current drive is presumably working.

Does your PC only have one drive position - is it a laptop?
If not, then you would be able to connect the drive you want to test no
problem, and not need a bootable solution.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Wisdom is the ability to cope. - the late (AB of C) Michael Ramsey,
quoted by Stephen Fry (RT 24-30 August 2013)

<jaugustine@verizon.net> wrote

| You insert the CD in PC, power up PC, and boots CD (preset)
| so you can Format the internal HD.
|

I like BootIt. I'm not sure whether you can use it in an
unlimited way without paying. Maybe.

If you do pay it's $40. I've used it for many years for
multi-booting, partitioning and disk imaging. Very fast,
very dependable. It doesn't do as much hand holding as
some products, but the help is pretty good. I've been able
to figure out whatever I need to.

To my mind, $40 is cheap for such a product, even though
I use very little software that I had to pay for. But some
people won't use anything that costs money. For those people,
Macrium seems to be popular, but I've never used it.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 19:29:52 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 at 12:46:55, jaugustine@verizon.net wrote (my
>responses usually follow points raised):
>>>> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>>>> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>>>> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>[]
>>>Yes, I'd ask why?
>[]
>> I forgot to mention the reason I want to format an internal HD, which
>>is much faster than using a HD docking station plugged into USB port (did that
>>once and it took almost 3 hours).
>>
>> When I buy a HD (spare), I like to format it as a way to check it.
>>
>> Thanks to everyone for your replies, John
>>
>If it's a spare, then your current drive is presumably working.
>
>Does your PC only have one drive position - is it a laptop?
>If not, then you would be able to connect the drive you want to test no
>problem, and not need a bootable solution.

I have an old XP machine here that I keep for nothing but drive
maintenance. It has a power cord, a SATA cable and an IDE cable
sticking out the back. This is a minimal software load that I keep an
image of on an optical so if I did get some kind of ugly virus I could
flush it and start over pretty fast.

On 6/30/2021 4:13 PM, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 19:29:52 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
> <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 30 Jun 2021 at 12:46:55, jaugustine@verizon.net wrote (my
>> responses usually follow points raised):
>>>>> Does anyone know of a HD formatter (does NOT have to be free)
>>>>> that is available as an ISO file that is downloadable, you burn
>>>>> onto a CD (becomes a bootable CD).
>> []
>>>> Yes, I'd ask why?
>> []
>>> I forgot to mention the reason I want to format an internal HD, which
>>> is much faster than using a HD docking station plugged into USB port (did that
>>> once and it took almost 3 hours).
>>>
>>> When I buy a HD (spare), I like to format it as a way to check it.
>>>
>>> Thanks to everyone for your replies, John
>>>
>> If it's a spare, then your current drive is presumably working.
>>
>> Does your PC only have one drive position - is it a laptop?
>> If not, then you would be able to connect the drive you want to test no
>> problem, and not need a bootable solution.
>
> I have an old XP machine here that I keep for nothing but drive
> maintenance. It has a power cord, a SATA cable and an IDE cable
> sticking out the back. This is a minimal software load that I keep an
> image of on an optical so if I did get some kind of ugly virus I could
> flush it and start over pretty fast.

Yes, I have a similar old Compaq desktop.

> UPDATE:
>
> I found the solution. I discovered I have "Bart PE" (don't remember
>version) on a bootable CD. This CD boots into a stripped down (live)
>version of Windows XP with a Command Prompt.
>
> At the Command Prompt (testing a spare 120GB HD), I had to write down
>"Volume" of C: drive (HDD) because of prompt I get after issuing the
> "Format C: /FS:NTFS" command.
>
> After I responded to the Volume prompt, I saw the typical "Warning, All
>Data....", and the HD was formatted.
>
MORE INFO:

I just received (from Amazon) a new 500 GB HD (RAW, no partition).
I believe Win7 has a disk manager I could have used to create a partition
with HD in a docking station connected to USB port.

However, I paid $54 for Partition Assist Professional V8.0 abt. 3 or 4
years ago (downloaded ISO file and burned it onto a CD (bootable)), I
used that on the internal HD (new RAW) to create a partition.

Since there was NO Volume label, there was NO prompt for Volume using
"Bart PE", WinXP Command Prompt, Format command.

Note: Using an old Dell Inspiron 1520 laptop, it is very easy to switch
the internal HD.

John